Does your business have a social media policy?

Written on the 24 March 2014 by Snap Marketing

While most of us have now either reluctantly accepted or whole-heartedly embraced the fact that social media is a necessary part of our marketing plan, many of us remain guilty of taking a laissez-fare approach. If that sounds like you, it may be time to write a social media policy.

What is a social media policy and why do I want one?

A social media policy provides everyone who posts on behalf of your business with a consistent set of rules and regulations about how they use social media. In addition, your policy can outline employees personal social media use, although this is only necessary if you work in a highly regulated industry, or if there are special circumstances that may need to be addressed like personal tweets from events where employees are representing their employer.It can also provide information for fans like what warrants a post removal (obscene language), or how long they can expect to wait for a response. Having a policy in place will help to: limit the risks and consequences of misuse; ensure your business delivers a consistent and on-brand message; identify and meet tangible results; encourage smooth interactions with clients; and ensure all staff members understand what is expected of them.

Im convinced! What next?

Follow these steps to get started:

1. Start with a general mission statement that describes what you want out of social media.
2. Come up with some tangible, specific goals.
3. Assign roles and responsibilities for each network.
4. Create a style guide.
5. Outline rules for interactions with clients, including maximum time to leave between response for weekdays, weekends and holidays.
6. Map out a strategy that includes frequency of posts and types of posts.
7. Include information on each individual networks rules and regulations, and add any additional legalities specific to your business.
8. Host a meeting with everyone who posts on behalf of your business to go over your policy and add to it. This is especially important if youre not the person currently using social media on a day-to-day basis.

Contact Snap for more information on how to market your business online and offline.